Civil Service People Survey 2014

Civil Service benchmark scores

November 2014 This report shows the benchmark scores from the Civil Service People Survey (CSPS) from 2009 to 2014.

The benchmark for a survey measure is the median (mid-point) score of all participating organisations.

The questions are used to generate 10 headline indicators, one to measure the levels of employee engagement and nine to measure the factors which influence engagement.

The table below shows the benchmark score for each of these 10 headline indicators.

Pages 3-8 show the benchmark score for each of the individual core questions.

Page 9 provides a brief technical overview of the survey and endnotes, including information on the response rate.

Page 10 lists the organisations that participated in the 2014 survey.

| Civil Service benchmark score | Change in benchmark between | Direction of travel | |------------------------------|-----------------------------|---------------------| | | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2009 to '10 | '10 to '11 | '11 to '12 | '12 to '13 | '13 to '14 | | Employee engagement index | 58% | 56% | 56% | 58% | 58% | 59% | -2 | 0 | +2 | 0 | +1 | | My work | 75% | 71% | 71% | 73% | 74% | 75% | -4 | 0 | +2 | +1 | +1 | | Organisational objectives and purpose | 81% | 81% | 81% | 82% | 82% | 83% | 0 | 0 | +1 | 0 | +1 | | My manager | 64% | 64% | 64% | 66% | 67% | 67% | 0 | 0 | +2 | +1 | 0 | | My team | 76% | 77% | 77% | 78% | 79% | 79% | +1 | 0 | +1 | +1 | 0 | | Learning and development | 50% | 43% | 43% | 44% | 47% | 49% | -7 | 0 | +1 | +3 | +2 | | Inclusion and fair treatment | 74% | 73% | 73% | 75% | 74% | 75% | -1 | 0 | +2 | -1 | +1 | | Resources and workload | 72% | 73% | 73% | 74% | 74% | 74% | +1 | 0 | +1 | 0 | 0 | | Pay and benefits | 37% | 37% | 31% | 30% | 29% | 28% | 0 | -6 | -1 | -1 | -1 | | Leadership and managing change | 38% | 37% | 38% | 41% | 42% | 43% | -1 | +1 | +3 | +1 | +1 |

## Civil Service People Survey 2014: results by question

### My work

| Question | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | Change in score | Direction of travel | |--------------------------------------------------------------------------|------|------|------|------|------|------|-----------------|---------------------| | B01. I am interested in my work | 90% | 89% | 89% | 89% | 89% | 89% | -1 | - | | B02. I am sufficiently challenged by my work | 76% | 73% | 75% | 76% | 78% | 79% | -3 | ↓ | | B03. My work gives me a sense of personal accomplishment | 74% | 72% | 72% | 73% | 75% | 76% | -2 | ↓ | | B04. I feel involved in the decisions that affect my work | 56% | 49% | 49% | 53% | 54% | 56% | -7 | ↓ | | B05. I have a choice in deciding how I do my work | 72% | 70% | 71% | 72% | 72% | 74% | -2 | ↓ |

### Organisational objectives and purpose

| Question | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | Change in score | Direction of travel | |--------------------------------------------------------------------------|------|------|------|------|------|------|-----------------|---------------------| | B06. I have a clear understanding of [my organisation’s] purpose | 84% | 84% | 84% | 84% | 85% | 86% | 0 | +1 | | B07. I have a clear understanding of [my organisation’s] objectives | 78% | 78% | 79% | 79% | 80% | 81% | 0 | +1 | | B08. I understand how my work contributes to [my organisation’s] objectives | 82% | 80% | 81% | 82% | 83% | 83% | -2 | ↓ |

### My manager

| Question | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | Change in score | Direction of travel | |--------------------------------------------------------------------------|------|------|------|------|------|------|-----------------|---------------------| | B09. My manager motivates me to be more effective in my job | 61% | 62% | 63% | 66% | 65% | 68% | +1 | +3 | | B10. My manager is considerate of my life outside work | 77% | 78% | 79% | 81% | 80% | 81% | +1 | +2 | | B11. My manager is open to my ideas | 78% | 77% | 79% | 79% | 79% | 80% | -1 | 0 | | B12. My manager helps me to understand how I contribute to [my organisation’s] objectives | 59% | 58% | 58% | 61% | 62% | 64% | -1 | 0 | | B13. Overall, I have confidence in the decisions made by my manager | 70% | 69% | 71% | 71% | 71% | 73% | -1 | 0 | | B14. My manager recognises when I have done my job well | 76% | 77% | 76% | 77% | 77% | 77% | +1 | -1 | | B15. I receive regular feedback on my performance | 60% | 60% | 60% | 63% | 64% | 65% | 0 | +3 | | B16. The feedback I receive helps me to improve my performance | 57% | 57% | 58% | 60% | 60% | 61% | 0 | +1 | | B17. I think that my performance is evaluated fairly | 63% | 62% | 62% | 62% | 63% | 63% | -1 | 0 | | B18. Poor performance is dealt with effectively in my team | 38% | 37% | 37% | 37% | 38% | 39% | -1 | 0 |

## Civil Service People Survey 2014: results by question

### My team

| Question | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | Change in score | Direction of travel | |--------------------------------------------------------------------------|------|------|------|------|------|------|-----------------|---------------------| | B19. The people in my team can be relied upon to help when things get | 83% | 83% | 82% | 83% | 84% | 84% | 0 | - | | difficult in my job | | | | | | | -1 | - | | B20. The people in my team work together to find ways to improve the | 79% | 78% | 78% | 79% | 80% | 80% | -1 | - | | service we provide | | | | | | | 0 | - | | B21. The people in my team are encouraged to come up with new and better | 68% | 70% | 69% | 71% | 73% | 74% | +2 | +1 | | ways of doing things | | | | | | | -1 | - |

### Learning and development

| Question | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | Change in score | Direction of travel | |--------------------------------------------------------------------------|------|------|------|------|------|------|-----------------|---------------------| | B22. I am able to access the right learning and development opportunities | 63% | 55% | 54% | 58% | 61% | 62% | -8 | - | | when I need to | | | | | | | +4 | + | | B23. Learning and development activities I have completed in the past | 51% | 48% | 45% | 46% | 48% | 51% | -3 | - | | 12 months have helped to improve my performance | | | | | | | +1 | + | | B24. There are opportunities for me to develop my career in [my | 39% | 28% | 31% | 35% | 38% | 42% | -11 | - | | organisation] | | | | | | | +3 | + | | B25. Learning and development activities I have completed while working | 44% | 41% | 40% | 40% | 42% | 43% | -3 | - | | for [my organisation] are helping me to develop my career | | | | | | | 0 | + |

### Inclusion and fair treatment

| Question | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | Change in score | Direction of travel | |--------------------------------------------------------------------------|------|------|------|------|------|------|-----------------|---------------------| | B26. I am treated fairly at work | 79% | 78% | 78% | 78% | 78% | 79% | -1 | 0 | | B27. I am treated with respect by the people I work with | 85% | 84% | 84% | 84% | 84% | 84% | -1 | 0 | | B28. I feel valued for the work I do | 62% | 60% | 59% | 62% | 63% | 65% | -2 | +3 | | B29. I think that [my organisation] respects individual differences | 71% | 71% | 70% | 71% | 72% | 74% | 0 | +1 | | (e.g. cultures, working styles, backgrounds, ideas, etc) | | | | | | | | |

### Resources and workload

| Question | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | Change in score | Direction of travel | |--------------------------------------------------------------------------|------|------|------|------|------|------|-----------------|---------------------| | B30. In my job, I am clear what is expected of me | 81% | 82% | 82% | 84% | 83% | 84% | +1 | 0 | | B31. I get the information I need to do my job well | 63% | 67% | 67% | 68% | 69% | 70% | +4 | 0 | | B32. I have clear work objectives | 72% | 74% | 74% | 75% | 75% | 76% | +2 | 0 | | B33. I have the skills I need to do my job effectively | 87% | 88% | 88% | 88% | 88% | 89% | +1 | 0 | | B34. I have the tools I need to do my job effectively | 72% | 72% | 70% | 72% | 71% | 72% | 0 | -2 | | B35. I have an acceptable workload | 60% | 62% | 61% | 60% | 60% | 59% | +2 | -1 | | B36. I achieve a good balance between my work life and my private life | 68% | 70% | 67% | 68% | 68% | 66% | +2 | -3 |

## Civil Service People Survey 2014: results by question

### Pay and benefits

| Question | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | Change in score | Direction of travel | |--------------------------------------------------------------------------|------|------|------|------|------|------|-----------------|---------------------| | B37. I feel that my pay adequately reflects my performance | 36% | 38% | 32% | 31% | 29% | 29% | +2 | - | | B38. I am satisfied with the total benefits package | 44% | 39% | 34% | 33% | 32% | 32% | -5 | - | | B39. Compared to people doing a similar job in other organisations I feel my pay is reasonable | 33% | 31% | 27% | 26% | 25% | 24% | -2 | - |

### Leadership and managing change

| Question | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | Change in score | Direction of travel | |--------------------------------------------------------------------------|------|------|------|------|------|------|-----------------|---------------------| | B40. I feel that [my organisation] as a whole is managed well | 40% | 41% | 40% | 43% | 43% | 45% | +1 | - | | B41. [Senior managers] in [my organisation] are sufficiently visible | 45% | 45% | 46% | 48% | 51% | 53% | 0 | +1 | | B42. I believe the actions of [senior managers] are consistent with [my organisation’s] values | 39% | 39% | 39% | 42% | 43% | 47% | 0 | +3 | | B43. I believe that [the board has] a clear vision for the future of [my organisation] | 36% | 35% | 39% | 40% | 42% | 45% | -1 | +4 | | B44. Overall, I have confidence in the decisions made by [my organisation’s senior managers] | 36% | 36% | 36% | 39% | 41% | 44% | 0 | +3 | | B45. I feel that change is managed well in [my organisation] | 27% | 27% | 27% | 29% | 29% | 31% | 0 | +2 | | B46. When changes are made in [my organisation] they are usually for the better | 25% | 23% | 23% | 25% | 27% | 30% | -2 | 0 | | B47. [My organisation] keeps me informed about matters that affect me | 56% | 54% | 55% | 56% | 58% | 58% | -2 | +1 | | B48. I have the opportunity to contribute my views before decisions are made that affect me | 34% | 32% | 36% | 36% | 36% | 36% | -2 | 0 | | B49. I think it is safe to challenge the way things are done in [my organisation] | 39% | 39% | 38% | 40% | 38% | 41% | 0 | - |

## Civil Service People Survey 2014: results by question

### Employee engagement

| Question | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | Change in score | Direction of travel | |--------------------------------------------------------------------------|------|------|------|------|------|------|-----------------|---------------------| | B50. I am proud when I tell others I am part of [my organisation] | 56% | 55% | 52% | 53% | 56% | 59% | -1 | - | | B51. I would recommend [my organisation] as a great place to work | 48% | 42% | 43% | 46% | 45% | 49% | -6 | - | | B52. I feel a strong personal attachment to [my organisation] | 45% | 46% | 46% | 44% | 46% | 48% | +1 | +3 | | B53. [My organisation] inspires me to do the best in my job | 40% | 39% | 38% | 41% | 43% | 45% | -1 | - | | B54. [My organisation] motivates me to help it achieve its objectives | 38% | 36% | 36% | 38% | 40% | 43% | -2 | 0 |

### Taking action

| Question | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | Change in score | Direction of travel | |--------------------------------------------------------------------------|------|------|------|------|------|------|-----------------|---------------------| | B55. I believe that [senior managers] in [my organisation] will take action on the results from this survey | 37% | 38% | 39% | 43% | 43% | 45% | +1 | +4 | | B56. I believe that managers where I work will take action on the results from this survey | 45% | 46% | 49% | 52% | 54% | 55% | +1 | +3 | | B57. Where I work, I think effective action has been taken on the results of the last survey | n/a | n/a | 29% | 32% | 33% | 35% | n/a | n/a |

### Organisational culture

| Question | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | Change in score | Direction of travel | |--------------------------------------------------------------------------|------|------|------|------|------|------|-----------------|---------------------| | B58. I am trusted to carry out my job effectively | n/a | n/a | n/a | 86% | 88% | 89% | n/a | n/a | | B59. I believe I would be supported if I try a new idea, even if it may not work | n/a | n/a | n/a | 63% | 67% | 68% | n/a | n/a | | B60. My performance is evaluated based on whether I get things done, rather than solely follow process | n/a | n/a | n/a | 63% | 65% | 65% | n/a | n/a | | B61. When I talk about [my organisation] I say "we" rather than "they" | n/a | n/a | n/a | 69% | 67% | 68% | n/a | n/a | | B62. I have some really good friendships at work | n/a | n/a | n/a | 73% | 76% | 76% | n/a | n/a |

### Civil Service People Survey 2014: results by question

#### Future intentions

| Question | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | Change in index score | Direction of travel | |--------------------------------------------------------------------------|------|------|------|------|------|------|-----------------------|---------------------| | I want to leave [my organisation] as soon as possible | 6% | 8% | 7% | 8% | 8% | 7% | +2 | - | | I want to leave [my organisation] within the next 12 months | 11% | 11% | 11% | 12% | 13% | 14% | 0 | 0 | | I want to stay working for [my organisation] for at least the next year | 28% | 26% | 27% | 29% | 30% | 31% | -2 | +1 | | I want to stay working for [my organisation] for at least the next three years | 55% | 55% | 54% | 52% | 48% | 47% | 0 | -1 |

#### Civil Service Code

| Question | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | Change in index score | Direction of travel | |--------------------------------------------------------------------------|------|------|------|------|------|------|-----------------------|---------------------| | D01. Are you aware of the Civil Service Code? | 75% | 81% | 86% | 88% | 89% | 90% | +6 | + | | D02. Are you aware of how to raise a concern under the Civil Service Code? | 44% | 53% | 59% | 63% | 64% | 64% | +9 | + | | D03. Are you confident that if you raise a concern under the Civil Service Code in [your organisation] it would be investigated properly? | 58% | 62% | 64% | 67% | 67% | 69% | +4 | + |

#### Wellbeing

| Question | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | Change in index score | Direction of travel | |--------------------------------------------------------------------------|------|------|------|------|------|------|-----------------------|---------------------| | W01. Overall, how satisfied are you with your life nowadays? (% 7-10) (0=not at all satisfied, 10=completely satisfied) | n/a | n/a | n/a | 62% | 63% | 64% | n/a | n/a | | W02. Overall, to what extent do you think the things you do in your life are worthwhile? (% 7-10) (0=not at all worthwhile, 10=completely worthwhile) | n/a | n/a | n/a | 68% | 69% | 70% | n/a | n/a | | W03. Overall, how happy did you feel yesterday? (% 7-10) (0=not at all happy, 10=completely happy) | n/a | n/a | n/a | 59% | 60% | 60% | n/a | n/a | | W04. Overall, how anxious did you feel yesterday? (% 0-3) (0=not at all anxious, 10=completely anxious) | n/a | n/a | n/a | 51% | 50% | 50% | n/a | n/a |

### Civil Service People Survey 2014: results by question

#### Discrimination

**E01.** During the past 12 months have you personally experienced discrimination at work?

| Year | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | |------|------|------|------|------|------|------| | % | 10% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 10% |

#### Bullying and harassment

**E03.** During the past 12 months have you personally experienced bullying or harassment at work?

| Year | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | |------|------|------|------|------|------|------| | % | 10% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 10% |

**E04.** Who were you bullied or harassed by at work in the past 12 months? (Asked only of those that said "yes" to question E03, multiple selection was allowed therefore the result is shown as a proportion of those who said yes to E03 and may sum to more than 100%) 11,12

| Category | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | |----------|------|------|------|------|------|------| | A colleague | 26% | 28% | 29% | 29% | 30% | 30% | | Your manager | 31% | 28% | 28% | 27% | 29% | 30% | | Another manager in your part of [your organisation] | 24% | 23% | 23% | 24% | 25% | 25% | | Someone you manage | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% | | Someone who works for another part of [your organisation] | 11% | 12% | 11% | 11% | 11% | 10% | | A member of the public | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | | Someone else | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 4% | 4% | | Prefer not to say | 14% | 16% | 17% | 16% | 14% | 14% | The 2014 Civil Service People Survey was conducted across 101 Civil Service organisations (Government Departments, Executive Agencies and Crown NDPBs). A list of participating organisations is provided on the following page.

The fieldwork for the survey ran from 1st-31st October, with 96% participating online and 4% completing paper questionnaires.

274,080 participated in the survey, an overall response rate of 60%. Across the 101 participating organisations the median response rate was 77%.

End notes

01. Except for the engagement index (see note 4) the result for each of the headline themes is calculated as the percentage of “strongly agree” or “agree” responses to all questions in that theme.

02. The change in the benchmark score is calculated simply as the later year’s benchmark score minus the preceding year’s benchmark score. This calculation is based on the rounded figures published in this report.

03. It is not possible to test whether changes in the benchmark are statistically significant because the calculations are based on median scores. The ‘direction of travel’ is therefore a qualitative assessment of the changes in score. An increase of 2 or more percentage points is presented as an arrow pointing to the top-right, a decrease of 2 or more percentage points is presented as an arrow pointing to the bottom-right.

04. The employee engagement index is calculated as a weighted average of the responses to the five employee engagement questions (B50-B54) and ranges from 0% to 100%. A score of 0% represents all respondents giving a rating of “strongly disagree” to all five questions. A score of 100% represents all respondents giving a rating of “strongly agree” to all five questions.

05. The scores for questions B01-B62 are based on the proportion responding “strongly agree” or “agree”. For questions D01-D02, E01 and E03 the score is based on the proportion responding “yes”.

06. Phrases in square brackets (e.g. [my organisation]) are used in the core questionnaire to indicate where participating organisations use the relevant local terms (e.g. ‘the Cabinet Office’ in place of [my/your organisation] or ‘Senior Civil Servants’ in place of [senior managers]).

07. Question B57 was added to the core questionnaire in 2011 and therefore no benchmark score for 2009 or 2010 is available.

08. In 2012 five new questions were added to the Civil Service People Survey to measure further aspects of the culture of our organisations that were not already covered by the questionnaire.

09. Question C01 has four response options and respondents can only select one of the four options. The benchmark score is the median proportion of responses to each option.

10. Following a pilot in 2011, the 2012 Civil Service People Survey questionnaire also included the four subjective wellbeing questions asked by the ONS in the Annual Population Survey as part of their Measuring National Wellbeing programme.

11. Question E02 was only asked to those who had responded "yes" to question E01, similarly question E04 was only asked to those who had responded "yes" to question E03. The scores for questions E02 and E04 are the number of responses to that category as a percentage of those who had said "yes" to the previous question. As respondents were able to select more than one category the scores may sum to more than 100% and the proportions for individual categories cannot be combined.

12. In CSPS 2010 an additional seven response options were added to question E02, therefore there is no data for these categories for 2009. The addition of these categories also means that the results for "Any other grounds" cannot be compared between 2009 and 2010. Participating organisations

Attorney General’s departments Attorney General’s Office Crown Prosecution Service HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate Serious Fraud Office TSol

Business, Innovation & Skills Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (excluding agencies) Acas Companies House Competition and Markets Authority Intellectual Property Office Land Registry Met Office National Measurement Office Ordnance Survey National Records of Scotland Historic Scotland and RCAHMS Education Scotland Disclosure Scotland Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service Accountant in Bankruptcy HM Prison Service HM Courts and Tribunals Service HM Revenue & Customs HM Inspectorate of Constabulary HM Revenue & Customs HM Treasury HM Treasury and Chancellor’s departments HM Treasury Debt Management Office Government Actuary’s Department National Savings and Investments

Defence Ministry of Defence Defence Equipment & Support Defence Support Group Dstl UK Hydrographic Office

Department for Education Department of Energy and Climate Change Environment, Food & Rural Affairs Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (excluding agencies) Animal and Plant Health Agency Centre for Environment, Food and Aquaculture Science Food and Environment Research Agency Rural Payments Agency Veterinary Medicines Directorate

Food Standards Agency Foreign & Commonwealth Office Foreign & Commonwealth Office (excluding agencies) FCO Services Wilton Park

Health Department of Health (excluding agencies) Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency Public Health England

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary HM Revenue & Customs HM Revenue & Customs Valuation Office Agency

HM Treasury and Chancellor’s departments HM Treasury Debt Management Office Government Actuary’s Department National Savings and Investments

Home Office Home Office: Policy and Enablers Home Office: Border Force Home Office: Immigration Enforcement Home Office: UK Visas and Immigration HM Passport Office

Department for International Development Justice Ministry of Justice (excluding agencies) Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority HM Courts and Tribunals Service HM Prison Service Legal Aid Agency MoJ Arms Length Bodies National Offender Management Service (HQ) National Probation Service Office of the Public Guardian The National Archives

National Crime Agency Ofsted

Scottish Government Scottish Government (excluding agencies) Accountant in Bankruptcy Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service Disclosure Scotland Education Scotland Historic Scotland and RCAHMS National Records of Scotland Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator Registers of Scotland Scottish Court Service Scottish Housing Regulator Scottish Prison Service Scottish Public Pensions Agency Scottish Tribunals Service Student Awards Agency for Scotland Transport Scotland

Scotland Office, Office of the Advocate General, Wales Office and Northern Ireland Office

Transport Department for Transport (excluding agencies) Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Highways Agency Maritime and Coastguard Agency Office of Rail Regulation Vehicle Certification Agency

UK Export Finance

UK Statistics Authority UK Statistics Authority Office for National Statistics

Welsh Government Welsh Government Estyn

Work and Pensions Department for Work and Pensions Health and Safety Executive

Notes

1. The following sets of organisations participate in a ‘joint-survey’, that is where all the organisations take part in the same version of the Civil Service People Survey and therefore are treated as one organisation for analysis and reporting of the survey results.

   - The Department for Education and its executive agencies
   - The Scotland Office and Office of the Advocate General, the Wales Office, and the Northern Ireland Office

2. The Home Office’s operational directorates undertake their own versions of the Civil Service People Survey and therefore are treated as separate organisations for analysis and reporting of the survey results.